[ '35 ] 



age. And with refped to the manufcripts, the Cottonian Gene/is 

 fupplies us with an inftance of fuch a form of M, when it is 

 at the end of a hne (fee Mr. AJile\ Specimen, Tab. III). Alfo 

 the A and A in the Specimen of Bezds Teftament, and a A in 

 the Specimen of the Coi/linian manufcript, No. 202, feem to 

 refemble the fame letters here. With refped to the letter A, it 

 has in this manufcript two forms ; in both the principal ftroke is 

 a perpendicular right line ; but in one the letter is compofed of 

 two other right lines, forming angles with each other and the 

 perpendicular; in the other, one round line feems to have been 

 fubftitutcd for thefe two. The firfl; form I have not met with 

 any where elfe ; the fecond form is found in Turonenjis, and 

 alfo is very fimilar to an A in the Specimen of Bede\ manufcript. 

 But hence we cannot deduce that it is of the fame date with 

 Turonenjis, inafmuch as this lafl manufcript is not written in 

 round and fquare uncials, and muft be therefore lefs ancient. It 

 is alfo not unlike the A of C>r/7's alphabet, as reprefented in the 

 Encjc/opedie, Tom. 2, des Planches, Tab. XI. Paris 1763, where 

 the principal ftroke is made a perpendicular ; which ftroke in 

 other copies of the fame alphabet is reprefented as inclined. 

 And we muft obferve that all the manufcripts give this letter a 

 form very different from what may be obferved in the infcrip- 

 tions (Palaeog. p. 142) except only a few infcriptions in which 

 the fame form occurs, vide Marm. Oxon. p. 572, & Sicili^ Infcrip- 

 tionum Colledio, p. 241. The greateft difference between this 

 manufcript and thofe of the firft clafs is in this letter; but hence 

 we cannot infer it lefs ancient than them, as we have no autho- 

 rity for afTerting that the A in Greek manufcripts never had this 



figure 



